Cloud streaming quality must improve and the PC Xbox app needs an urgent revamp.
Another week, another episode of DF Direct and Microsoft’s latest endeavours are our lead topics of discussion.
The difference offered by the Fire Stick is, of course, accessibility.
The idea is sound, but I feel the execution needs work.
Microsoft deserves some kudos for input lag response that beats its PlayStation counterpart.
It’s still noticeably slower than the local experience, but you could adjust to it.
Mostly, it’s fine, especially if you choose a game that runs at 60 frames per second.
However, the gameplay experience isn’t quite good enough.
So, you don’t need an Xbox to play Xbox.
The streaming system works, but it isn’t a particularly good experience for Xbox gaming.
The simple solution would be to increase the bitrate of the video and thus improve the quality.
Stadia did it, PlayStation Plus cloud streaming does it, GeForce Now does it.
It works and it respects the target display in a way that Microsoft’s current cloud streaming does not.
And you’re not just limited to Game Pass, but to standard Xbox titles too.
It’s simply not fit for purpose.
The game’s own launcher appears, but actually trying to boot the game does nothing.
Is it a problem with my specific PC, perhaps?
It’s totally baffling, as is the apparent inefficiency of the download process.
Right now, Alex is downloading Forza Motorsport.
It downloaded at 14MB/s via the Xbox app, which is hardly disastrous.
And yet downloading via Steam delivers 112MB/s and effectively maxes out the connection.
And a launcher that doesn’t always launch games?
This is basic stuff.
I think what’s clear is that Microsoft is entering a transition period - and an uncertain one.
And yet, I think the general trajectory from Microsoft is the right one.
